29
/
en
AIzaSyAYiBZKx7MnpbEhh9jyipgxe19OcubqV5w
April 1, 2024
Create
Public Timelines
Library
FAQ
For education
Cabinet
For educational institutions
For teachers
For students/pupils
Download
Export
Duplicate
Embed
Edit
781 views
0
0
the Munich Agreement
Made for cambridge iGCSE history
Created by
Isabel
⟶ Updated 28 Jan 2018 ⟶
List of edits
Timelines by
Isabel
:
27 Jan 2018
0
0
1066
Hitler's Foreign Policy 1936-39
Made for iGCSE Cambridge History
27 Jan 2018
0
0
994
Hitler's Foreign Policy 1933-36
Made for Cambridge iGCSE history
27 Jan 2018
0
0
970
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
Made for iGCSE cambridge history
28 Jan 2018
0
0
816
Anschluss
Made for iGCSE Cambridge history
28 Jan 2018
0
0
702
The Spanish Civil War
Made for iGCSE history cambridge
30 Apr 2018
0
0
499
Hungarian Rebellion of 1956
Made for Cambridge iGCSE History.
28 Jan 2018
0
0
471
The Anti-Comintern Pact
Made for cambridge iGCSE history
Comments
Events
September 1938: western statesmen realise that if they do not do something Hitler will take the Sudetenland by force.
15 September 1938: Summit Meeting 1 of the Munich Agreement
In Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
What did Hitler and Chamberlain decide?
Areas of the Sudetenland, where the majority of the population was German (50% +), should be handed over to Germany.
This was subject to approval by the British, French, and Czech governments.
Hitler demanded that the Czechs withdraw for the Sudeten areas by 1 October to avoid the certainty of conflict.
Hitler now claimed that he must have the Sudeten territories immediately.
Chamberlain reported the approval given by the Brtish, French, and Czech governments.
What did Hitler and Chamberlain decide?
In Bad Godesberg, Rhineland
May 1938: Hitler considered seizing the Sudetenland but was dissuaded by the prospect of war with Czechoslovakia, Soviet Russia, and France, backed by Britain.
29 September 1938: the Munich Conference
Participants: Neville Chamberlain (Britain), Adolf Hitler (Germnay), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Edouard Deladier (France)
The Sudetenland would be handed over to Germany from Czechoslovakia over a period of 10 days
The four powers would gaurantee the remainder of Czechoslovkaia once Polish and Hungarian claims had been met.
Plebiscites would be held in any areas where there was doubt over the dominant nationality.
When Hitler realised what he was risking (European peace) he agreed to Chamberlain's suggestion, supported by Mussolini, that an international conference should be held to settle the dispute.
Instructions were issued for the mobilisation of the French army and the British navy.
Chamberlain was appalled by Hitler's change of heart at Bad Godesberg and returned to London to prepare for war.
Hitler also disliked Czechoslovakia because of its democratically elected government (Hitler wanted a central government under the leadership of one person, the Führer),and because of the fact it had an alliance with Soviet Russia and France, and the fact is was a craetion of the Versailles Settlement.
It also fulfilled Hitler's foreign policy aim to destroy the Treaty of Versailles, which had created the independent state of Czechoslovakia in the treaties of Saint Germain with Austria (1919) - Austria had to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and transferred territory to it and the Treaty of Triainon with Hungary (1920) - Hungary had to transfer territory to Czechoslovakia. It also fulfilled his idea to build up a central European empire.
The Sudetenland was populated by three and a half million Germans, former subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This fufilled Hitler's foreign policy aim to create a "Greater Germany" by uniting all German people. It also meant he would have more manpower in an army.
The Sudetenland was within Czechoslovakia (giving him access to his next target) but also was on the border with Germany.
Why did Hitler want the Sudetenland?
Hitler first encouraged protests and demonstrations by the Sudeten Germans because this would give him an excuse.
The Sudeten Germans, under their leader Henlein, were complaining of discrimination rom a Czech majority government.
This was done without consulting Czechoslovakia first.
22 September 1938: Summit Meeting 2 of the Munich Agreement.
When presented with the terms of the Munich Agreement Czechoslovakia had no choice but to sign and break up their country or agree to face war with Germany alone.
The document was a list of vague promises that pledged Hitler and Chamberlain to do everything to keep peace and use the"method of consultation" to resolve disagreements. Hitler signed, knowing thevagueness of the document saved noone and Chamberlain returned boasting he had "bought peace for our time".
Hours after signing the main agreement Chamberlain made a personal visit to Hitler amred with a document that he invited Hitler to sign.